


Mystery Devices Are Bad

by respoftw



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Crack, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-24
Updated: 2015-01-24
Packaged: 2018-03-08 21:23:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3223931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/respoftw/pseuds/respoftw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>De-aged Fitz.  That's all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mystery Devices Are Bad

**Author's Note:**

  * For [isisanubis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/isisanubis/gifts).



> This started as a fic wish post on my tumblr (fitzheartmack) and wouldn't let go of my brain until I wrote it. Sorry!

The garage was too quiet without Fitz around. Mack had gotten used to the constant background noise of curses, excited babbling and demands for cups of tea. He should probably enjoy the quiet while it lasts now that he thought about it.

Fitz had been pulled into the lab to look over the latest device that they had found in the Playground's vast vaults. Whoever had been responsible for the filing system here sucked at their job as there was no record of the device or what it is used for. Mack was just glad that the team had thought to bring Fitz in on it. People finally seemed to be realising that this Fitz may be different to the one they had before but he was just as smart and capable. Even Fitz seemed to be starting to realise that. Yes, his words still failed him sometimes but he was developing work arounds and his colleagues were starting to learn them. Better yet, so were his friends.

They were starting to realise that this Fitz, the Fitz that Mack met, was here to stay. And that that was OK. Mack had been worried that Fitz would move back to the lab full time now that things had improved, especially after he and Simmons had patched things up, but was warmed to find that it looked like Fitz had decided to stick with him.

He had yet to fully address why he would have been so disappointed if the engineer's corner of the garage were suddenly to have emptied but he was glad that it hadn't happened.

Mack was just finishing up with the car he was working on when he heard what sounded like an explosion from the science labs followed by a wailing, high pitched cry.

He was running towards the lab before he even thought to move. _Please don't be the lab Fitz was in_ running through his head.

A crowd was gathered outside the lab trying to see in but Mack pushed through the crowd to witness one of the strangest things he'd seen on the job yet.

Skye was crouched down on the floor trying to coax a boy of around 4 years old from under the table. Coulson and May were standing off to the side looking shocked. If Mack hadn't been so worried he probably would have remarked that he had never seen May's calm shattered like that before. But Mack was worried. Where was Fitz? The mystery device was lying on the floor not far from the crying child so Fitz must have been here. Where the hell was he?

Before he could ask, Jemma came crashing into the lab panicked, “What was that noise? What's going on? Why on earth is there a toddler in here? Oh my God, is that Fitz? That looks like Fitz!”

Mack was confused. Was what Fitz? She couldn't mean the kid....could she? Mack took another look at the small child that was curled up under the table, not budging no matter how much Skye coaxed.

“Leo?” Jemma whispered warily.

The kid looked up at that, red rimmed blue eyes scanning the room to see who had spoken. Mack sucked in a breath. He knew those eyes. Fucking hell, the kid **was** Fitz.  
“Oh my God, Turbo? What the hell happened?” Mack did not sign up for this.

“You said a bad word.” Everyone stilled as a small curly blonde head peeked out from under the table and spoke to Mack. “My Mummy said that was a bad word and you're not s'posed to say it. Are you bad?”

Jemma and Skye were staring at the little Fitz with hearts in their eyes. Mack stared in disbelief. Yes, the kid was cute but they seemed to be forgetting the small matter that this kid was supposed to be a 27 year old man.

“No sweetie, that's Mack. He's not a bad man, he's a big teddy bear. I'm Skye, do you wanna come out from under there so we can make sure that you're OK?”

Leo nodded and scooted out from under the table. “Is he really a teddy bear?” he whispered loudly to Skye, “He doesnae look like Angus.”

“Who's Angus, honey?” asked Jemma as she hastily covered the toddler in a hospital gown she had found in the supply cupboard.

“He's my bear. Mummy gave him to me and I look after him. I'm dead good at it.” Leo stated proudly.

Even May had started to crack a smile at the situation now. Mack couldn't believe this. Why was no one else appreciating the seriousness of this situation? They should be calling in all the other scientists and engineers in the building and get them working on a way to reverse whatever that stupid device had done to his Fitz!

“What the hell happened to Fitz?” Mack shouted angrily at the room. “You're supposed to look after him and fix him, not stand there cooing at him.”

“Mack - - “, May stepped forward to try to calm him down but stopped as Mack felt a small weight throw itself against his legs.

He looked down to see Leo cuddling his legs. “I'm sorry you're angry Mr Mack”, the kid's words were muffled as he buried his face in Mack's trousers. “What's wrong?” he sniffled as he looked up at Mack.

Mack melted as he looked down into those wide blue eyes. He reached down and lifted Leo up, securing him in his hold as little pudgy arms wound themselves around his neck. “I'm sorry kiddo”, he apologised. “I didn't mean to shout and you're right, I said a very bad word. You shouldn't ever say that.”

Leo looked at him seriously. “I wouldnae, I promise! Why did you shout?”

Mack sighed. “Well, I'm worried about my friend. Something's happened to him, he's gone away and I just want him back.”

“You miss him like I miss my Mummy.” Leo nodded sagely.

“Yeah, kiddo. I miss him.”  
“Do you love him? My Mummy says that it's OK to miss people, it just shows how much you really love them.”

Mack choked at that and looked around the lab at the others who weren't even trying to hide the grins on their faces. For God sakes, Skye was even taking pictures. Given his reaction to the current situation it was fair to say that the cat was well and truly out the bag about his feelings for Fitz now. “Yeah, kid. I love him.”

Leo smiled at Mack and pressed his chubby face against Mack's cheek, loudly smacking his lips against him. “I'll be your friend Mr Mack.”

“I'd like that kiddo.”

Leo clapped his little hands at that and Mack couldn't help but laugh along with him. Now that he had calmed down it was time to get cracking on a solution to this. He sucked in a deep breath and turned to face the others, still cradling Leo in his arms where the toddler seemed to be content to stay and snuggle into Mack's neck.

“OK, what happened and how do we fix it?”

Phil stepped forward and picked the device up from the floor. “Fitz managed to calibrate the device and power it up. He was just going over the controls when his hand spasmed and he accidentally activated it. There was a flash and then suddenly..” Phil gestured at the small child falling asleep on Mack.

“OK, how do we fix it?”

May took the device from Phil and turned to Mack. “As I was about to explain before young Leo here decided to give Skye enough ammunition to embarrass the two of you for the rest of your natural lives, Fitz explained the controls to us before it happened and we should be able to reverse the effect straight away. We were just trying to get him out from under the table first.”

“Oh...” Mack blushed as he realised that he may have overreacted ever so slightly.

“I suggest you put him on the couch over there and we try this”, May calmly stated.

Mack walked over to the couch and lay a sleeping Leo down. Now that he knew this could be reversed he had to admit, Fitz made a damn cute kid.

He stepped back as May activated the device, pointing it at the sleeping toddler. There was a sudden flash of light, momentarily blinding him until he blinked and saw Fitz, his Fitz, sleeping peacefully on the couch where he had placed him.

“Thank God. I wasn't sure that would work.” Phil sounded relieved.

Mack glared at May.

“What?” she said. “It did work and that's the main thing.”

“Quite!” Jemma interrupted. “I suggest we let Fitz sleep and I'll give him a check up when he awakes just to ensure that no damage was done. I think we should leave him alone now.”

The others nodded and they filtered out the room. Mack cast one glance back at the sleeping Scotsman. He wondered if Fitz would remember anything about this.

Four Hours Later

“I remember all of it.”

Fitz was standing outside Mack's room having knocked at the door. Mack gulped.

“You said you loved me. At least that's what you told the other me, the young me. Did you mean it?”

Fitz looked so nervous standing there, wringing his hands. Mack smiled at him. “Yeah, Turbo. I meant it.”

“Well that's good then because I, y'know, I love you too.”

“Do you want to come in?”

“Yeah.”

Mack closed the door behind them. Today didn't turn out so bad.


End file.
